Zoom Users Dilemma: Should I Delete My Account? By: Rafika Wahyu Andani Technological innovation is another notable contribution of globalization that would certainly benefit to people. The internet is the most visible aspect of globalization and in many ways, it globally integrates people in the world in a wide communication network. In the last few decades, the internet plays a major role, it has revolutionized how people work and expanded the global knowledge base that allows people to simplify and enhance people's lifestyles. Internet dependency is seen when we look around and become more significant since the rapid spread of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The handling of the spread of COVID-19 is carried out by all affected countries, including Indonesia. One of the government's efforts to reduce the acceleration of the spread of COVID-19 is promoting social distancing which then led to the concept of Work from Home (WFH). In addition to the workers, learning activities also carried out through the internet at their respective homes to enforce social distancing. Students and lecturers use various applications according to their needs, one of the most popular video call application is Zoom.
Zoom became the most popular video conferencing and meeting application since the government adopted WFH. Zoom offers convenience and a variety of features that can support video conferencing activities for free. Zoom users don't even need two-factor authentication to join a meeting. At the end of March 2020, Zoom users increased to 200 million users.
Many people are not familiar with the concept of convenience and security. The more comfortable we are using a system; the less security we can get. Conversely, the more uncomfortable we are in using a system, the greater the security guarantee provided. If a service is free, you are the product. The convenience provided by Zoom makes its users feel comfortable using it. Without users knowing it, comfort is what makes most of them ignore the lack of security guarantees provided by Zoom.
Recently it was widely reported that 530 thousand Zoom users' data was sold on the dark web site. The US intelligence company—Cybersecurity Cybele—reported that there is a process of buying and selling accounts for $0,00020 per Zoom account in one of the hacker's forums. Actors use the credential stuffing method to collect data by accessing all social media accounts with a single e-mail address and Zoom password. Zoom is also reported to have sent users’ data to Facebook to be shared with advertisers via the login with Facebook features. The CEO of Zoom Eric S. Yuan claimed, there was a problem that caused the weakness of the Zoom security system so that hackers could easily steal user’s data.
It is a public secret that the internet is not a safe place for our information. There is always a vulnerability that can be passed by people who deliberately want to steal information in it. The existence of cybersecurity or efforts to protect information from these hackers does not affect the number of cybercrime which increases day by day. From the explanation above, we all think of the same question, should I delete my Zoom account and switch to another application? The answer is no. Deleting an account does not automatically delete your data from the system, as well as using other applications that do not rule out our data safe from cybercrime. All systems must have vulnerability and Zoom is just one of the millions of vulnerabilities targeted by hackers. But basically, hacking makes the security of the system updated to be stronger. Therefore, how to make the Zoom meeting more private and safe?
The Mozilla Foundation provides tips for hosts and participants who inevitably have to use Zoom. A host is encouraged to continue to update the application with the latest version because the security system must have been updated. When creating a meeting, it is better if the host protects the meeting with a password and does not use a personal meeting ID for public purposes to avoid strangers in the meeting.
For paid accounts, the host can activate user authentication requirements and set when participants can join the meeting. Before starting the meeting, the host should double-check the participant and ensure that only invited participants to attend the meeting. The host can also turn off the file transfer feature and save chats after getting approval from all meeting participants. When the meeting has started, the host is advised to activate the lockout and mute all features. The host can also stop participants from sharing their screens to avoid Zoombombing and turn off the allow removed participants to rejoin feature. If needed, the host can also ask for co-host assistance to manage meetings if there are interruptions related to access and technicalities.
Participants are encouraged not to spread the meeting link on social media to avoid information theft. Participants can turn off video and sound if not needed during meetings and turn off auto-saving chats and attention tracking in the Zoom account settings section. If we want to maintain the privacy of our place of residence, we can disguise our personal space by using a picture or background photo feature. Regarding the digital footprint that will be recorded by the Zoom page, participants can set cookie preferences by changing the buttons at the bottom of the page to become required cookies.
The internet is now becoming a primary need for humans. But on the other hand, the internet is not a safe place for personal information because the internet is a public space. The existence of cybersecurity that is still unable to stop cybercrime is proof that there is no perfectly secured system. Stopping using Zoom does not automatically make our data safe. There are many ways for hackers to steal information. By the concept of convenience and security, it is better to use a system that makes us uncomfortable with a difficult authentication process but offers a high level of security. The use of safer platforms such as Google Meet to conduct meetings is another alternative that can be done.
Reference:
Kaili Lambe, “Tips to Make Your Zoom Gatherings More Private”, https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/blog/tips-make-your-zoom-gatherings-more-private/, accessed on 18th April 2020.
Mark Mayne, “Password Security Alert as Half a Million Zoom Credentials Up for Sale”, scmagazineuk.com/password-security-alert-half-million-zoom-credentials-sale/article/1680232 , accessed on 18th April 2020.
CNN, “Ratusan Ribu Akun Zoom Dijual di Dark Web dan Forum Hacker”, https://www.cnnindonesia.com/teknologi/20200414210156-185-493594/ratusan-ribu-akun-zoom-dijual-di-dark-web-dan-forum-hacker , accessed on 18th April 2020.
Pete Cherewich, “Security vs. Convenience: The Ultimate Trade-Off?”, https://medium.com/face-value/security-vs-convenience-the-ultimate-trade-off-843e476bf538 , accessed on 18th April 2020
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